1 Kings 15:17-22
15:17 King Baasha of Israel attacked Judah and established Ramah as a military outpost to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah. 1
15:18 Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace and handed it to his servants. He then told them to deliver it 2 to Ben Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, ruler in Damascus, along with this message:
15:19 “I want to make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made. 3 See, I have sent you silver and gold as a present. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he will retreat from my land.” 4
15:20 Ben Hadad accepted King Asa’s offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel. 5 They conquered 6 Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and all the territory of Naphtali, including the region of Kinnereth. 7
15:21 When Baasha heard the news, he stopped fortifying 8 Ramah and settled down in Tirzah.
15:22 King Asa ordered all the men of Judah (no exemptions were granted) to carry away the stones and wood that Baasha had used to build Ramah. 9 King Asa used the materials to build up 10 Geba (in Benjamin) and Mizpah.
1 tn Heb “and he built up Ramah so as to not permit going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.”
2 tn Heb “King Asa sent it.”
3 tn Heb “[May there be] a covenant between me and you [as there was] between my father and your father.”
4 tn Heb “so he will go up from upon me.”
5 tn Heb “and Ben Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of the armies which belonged to him against the cities of Israel.”
6 tn Heb “he struck down.”
7 tn Heb “and all Kinnereth together with all the land of Naphtali.”
8 tn Heb “building.”
9 tn Heb “and King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, there was no one exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its wood which Baasha had built.”
10 tn Heb “and King Asa built with them.”